HaiNaNu “Nooligan” Saulque is a visual artist who finds inspiration from fashion, cartoons, golden age comics, and comic strips. He is most recognized for taking pop-culture figures and exaggerating them in cartoonish fashion, always complete with a signature pair of sneakers.

Earlier in the week, we posted a review of the DC Artist Alley figures based off of Nooligan’s designs, which we will link to at the end of this article. Also based off of Nooligan’s artwork, DC Collectibles has produced a set of Batman bookends, and will release a Nightwing figure fairly soon. As well as being given a hands-on look of his figures, The Beat was also given a chance to talk to Nooligan about his Batman character designs, what it was like working with DC Collectibles, and his own brand of art.

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Who are some of your favorite Batman characters?

I’m accustomed to a lot of the Bat family. The Joker, Harley, and all that kind of stuff because I kind of grew up watching the animated series. So, all the Bat family has been a huge influence.

What else have you been working while you were busy with the DC Artist Alley line?

I’m just kind of focusing on all the different variations of the projects coming out and working on promoting the Day of the Dead variant, the Black and White variant, and looking forward to the Nightwing version coming out this holiday season.

What was it like to have your already produced artworks and then having to do variants of them on top of that? How was the process?

When we were approaching that, because I didn’t think we were doing variants, only a one-off, the Day of the Dead came up for me immediately. In my own personal work, I was doing already different variations of Day of the Dead with other characters. So, when they [DC] approached the idea of variants, it was the first thing I wanted to do. So, it was super cool because they ended up being highly-stylized and with a lot of details. For example, if you look at the sneakers you’ll see that instead of a circle they have a little skull. There’s a lot of details on things like the designs on Batman’s cowl, or Harley Quinn’s baseball bat, different color variations on the flowers, the bones… There’re just these little details on all of these things. I kind of supplied so much design on these things that they did what they could. Though some stuff had to get left out, overall, they are just great to look at. Seeing them in person and seeing them in 3D is crazy for me.

How was it working with the sculptor, Paul Harding, on this project?

I can’t say anything bad about Paul. Paul is super professional, top of his field, and just one of those guys that didn’t need me to do different views. Most of us think you have to do a turnaround of all of these characters that are perfect rendition. Paul was able to knock these out with just a front version. Like, one piece, looking at the front view, and he was able to do everything just off of that. Working with him has just been awesome. He designed the bookends as well. I can’t say anything better of Paul.

Speaking a little of your design on the figures, what made you want to do inverted kneecaps on Batman?

That’s funny, because somebody else brought that up to me as well. You know, in my personal design aesthetic and how I draw in general I just take out kneecaps. [HAHA] I’ve always kind of just “scooped” them out. I just like the angularness of it. And that’s the thing; I’ve never really played by the rules. I’ve always kind of done my own thing. I’ve always tried to push it as far as I could. If you look at the noses, the sneakers, just everything I do I try to change it as much as I can and make it my own. Especially when you look at the Nightwing, you see I went a whole other way with him versus the simple leotard that he usually wears, and I just tried to push it as far as I could.

Oh definitely. For me, your Nightwing has that whole “cool kid in school” kind of vibe. What would you say was the look you were going for?

Oh yeah. For the first three, we kind of kept the traditional outfits, save for the Joker, who really at this point you can do whatever with him as long as he looks nice. With Nightwing, I tried to keep it in the spirit of his traditional look by adding a little bit more of a post-modern thing. I wanted to incorporate a lot of “New Kids” fashion, while also some 1950s. I also wanted the hoodie, the hair, and to make it a little more modern. And like you said, make him a little more “cool and cocky.” I was trying to get onto a younger audience and trying to get them excited about something that was geared more towards them. And I think that also comes in with the nunchucks and everything else to just try to make it all something a little bit new that they’ve never seen, but obviously they’ve seen him before. Just kind of introducing something else, you know?

I personally think you hit it out of the park with the Joker, even with the exaggerating of his nose that reminds me a little of the Penguin. How was it working on him and his long, iconic smile?

I enjoyed the whole designing of him. Like you said, exaggerating him was the most important thing, especially when you take on the Joker. The nose thing kind of just made sense when I first did it. I wanted to just push his nose as far as I could ‘cause he’s just so exaggerated already and there’s nothing wrong with it. I just took chances. And when it came down to it, I just wanted to put that design down as a companion piece to Batman. If you look at both of them together, you can actually see that they kind of interact. The Joker’s pose is very open and he’s just honest about who he is, and then you see Batman with just this distained look, very closed off, so you can see that I’ve designed them in a way where they tell a story to each other. That was the whole kind of story between those two characters, that they interact.

Aside from DC, what other work do you have going on currently?

Everything else that I’ve been doing is just pushing art, pushing my style, and always trying to heighten it to different places. I’m always trying to take chances, take risks, and keep my art changing with the times. And that’s kind of all I do; work on different designs, different takes. I think that’s my whole job as a visual artist, to push myself. Setting my skills towards the DC universe has been one of the greatest things ever.

What new things did you learn during the project?

I’m not necessarily use to working in a field with corporate. I’m usually more of an independent indie artist. I’ve learned a lot about working in a team and also came to understand that working in a collaborative state is something that I was never use to, but that when you collaborate you can create something that is way beyond your level of talent. That sort of thing pushes you to a point where you never knew you could get to. I think that is the magic of working in something like this.

How would you say your art style has changed? A little bit? Any at all?

My art changes kind of based on the research I do. I do a lot of research on fashion stuff, so I try to incorporate what we are doing in the fashion industry and everything and incorporate that into my character designs. That makes it a little more modern and also keeps up to date with my fanbase. My demographic tends to be between mid-twenties to early thirties, so I try to keep within that realm of understanding them and trying to make sure that I always contribute what they are looking for into my character. Especially with Nightwing, that is the whole point of his design; to try to get it back into that demographic.

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Thank you DC Collectibles for sending us Nooligan’s very creative figures and for allowing us to pick the artist’s brain. The second wave of the DC Artist Alley line will be available this month, with Nightwing later in the year. The related bookends are available now.

Nicholas Eskey is an avid reader and writer. When not contributing to The Beat, he works on his personal projects, the latest being a fantasy novel called “My Personable Demon.” He lives in San Diego, California, and is frequently bossed around by his cat.

The next wave of DC Collectibles’ DC Artists Alley line is finally hitting store shelves this month. Previewed last year during San Diego Comic-Con, the second wave features the artistry of HaiNaNu “Nooligan” Saulque and the modeling of sculptor Paul Harding.

Unlike the first wave of the DC Artist Alley line which had the “cute and creepy” styling of artist Chris Uminga, the newest one has instilled Nooligan’s signature look, which takes heavily from cartoons, movies, golden age comics, and classic newspaper strips. The final product not only does justice to the iconic characters of Batman, The Joker, and Harley Quinn, but also showcases Nooligan’s unique interpretation.

All three characters measure roughly 7 and a ½ inches (a 1/11 scaling), with the bases having a diameter of 3 and 5/8 inches. Along with their high-detailing, exaggerated expressions, and cartoonish depictions, you’ll notice that all three sport oversized sneakers, which is typical of much of Nooligan’s work.

Batman’s utility belt is more pronounced, and his trunks (which have disappeared and re-appeared in recent years) have been replaced by what appears to be high-school gym shorts. With the inclusion of his inverted knees and his knee-high socks, we get a Dark Knight whose both intimidating and ridiculous at the same time, especially with his brooding expression.

Harley Quinn doesn’t appear too much changed from her original costume, which much like herself debuted in Batman: The Animated Series, but using it makes sense for Nooligan’s cartoony and exaggerated aesthetic. The two interesting twists to the look are the white gloves that are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse or Bug Bunny, again highlighting the cartoony aspect, and the updated makeup that make her resemble more a Harlequin, a traditionally Italian character who the creators of Harley Quinn took inspiration from.

For me, the Joker is the most striking of the three. While still capturing his insanity with a perpetual laugh, the inclusion of a form-fitting coat, skinny jeans, dangling suspenders, and slicked-back hair give him the appearance of a 1950’s greaser type. The addition of his playing cards are a nice touch as well, but it must be noted that unlike any other part of the three figures, these come separate in the box. Be careful when moving the Joker around, as I found setting him down even slightly hard will cause the cards to fall off.

Just like the first wave of figures by artist Chris Uminga, the Nooligan line will also be available in variant forms; “Black and White” variants of the three characters will be available everywhere where the standard editions are sold, with a “Day of the Dead” variants available exclusively at Gamestop. All versions will retail for $40.

Big thanks to DC Collectibles for sending The Beat these figures for review!

Nicholas Eskey is an avid reader and writer. When not contributing to The Beat, he works on his personal projects, the latest being a fantasy novel called “My Personable Demon.” He lives in San Diego, California, and is frequently bossed around by his cat.

The latest addition to the DC Collectible’s product repertoire is this first wave of vinyl figures designed by illustrator Chris Uminga.

For the new line of figures, Uminga’s self-described style of “cute and creepy” have given a unique appearance to the iconic likenesses of DC’s Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman.

Zombie Variant Batman

The first wave in the line features the iconic trio in various different forms: Standard Edition (limited to 3,000 units); Black and White Variants (limited to 500 units); Zombie Variants (limited to 1,000 units and exclusive to Hot Topic); Villain Variants (limited to 1,000 units and exclusive to Gamestop); Glow in the Dark Variants (limited to 1,000 units and exclusive to Box Lunch); and the San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives that come in Classic Variant (limited to 1,500), Flashpoint Variant (limited to 750), and Black and Gold Variant (limited to 300), all of which are exclusive to the Entertainment Earth booth #2342. Each figure, save for the Comic-Con exclusives, will retail for $40. Entertain Earth’s Classic Variant will go for $60, their Flashpoint Variant for $75, and their Black and Gold Variant for $100. DC Collectibles was gracious enough to send us the Hot Topic exclusive Zombie Variants.

Each figure stands at 6.75”, with a base that measures 3.5” across. Though made to look cartoonishly distorted, the details on the figures goes to show the level of exactness being kept to Uminga’s designs.

The packing is rather nice as well, designed to have a flap held shut by magnets, which when opened reveals the actual figure behind its plastic display screen. On the inside of the flap, there are also two cards held in place by a plastic pocket. Both are made of thin cardstock, one featuring the designer character and DC Collectibles logo, the other just the logo; a nice touch.

For any and all reading this that are attending this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, be sure to stop by Entertain Earth’s booth at #2342 to get your hands on their limited-edition variants of the Uminga designed line of vinyls. If you’re unable to attend, there’s a possibility that Entertainment Earth will have some unsold ones at the end of the convention, which will then end up on their website for sale.

Nicholas Eskey is an avid reader and writer. When not contributing to The Beat, he works on his personal projects, the latest being a fantasy novel called “My Personable Demon.” He lives in San Diego, California, and is frequently bossed around by his cat.

On preview night of the widely hyped San Diego Comic-Con, DC Collectibles kicked off with a soiree of food, booze, and industry chatter. Some notables on hand were DC’s Jim Fletcher, Kevin Kiniry, and the writers for the newly announced comic book Gotham City Garage Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, all enjoying festivities and answering questions. The focus however was ultimately on the merchandise.

Jim Fletcher and others in “excited” conversation

Last year, Wonder Woman’s 75th anniversary and her then upcoming movie steered DC’s marketing direction. It appears that this year DC will focus less on movies and more on artistic branding with their collectibles: Releasing merchandise that relies heavily on the “limited/artistic” tag. Prime example of this is the upcoming DC Artist Alley. Currently highlighted artists for this series are Hainanu “Nooligan” Saulque, Chris Uminga, and Sho Murase, each having designed with drastically different interpretations of Batman characters in mind. DC boasts in a press release that their DC Artist Alley “Reveals New, Cutting-Edge Interpretations of Wonder Woman, Batman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.” Saulque’s set is due for August of 2018, Uminga’s June 2018 (the variant color Batman’s to be dated still), and Murase’s for October of 2018.

DC Artist Alley line

Hainanu “Nooligan” Saulque

Chris Uminga

Sho Murase

The Gotham City Garage statue line will see an expansion in multiple facets. Akin to the DC Bombshells line that took iconic female characters and transformed them to something closer to a World War II pinup, Gotham City Garage transform heroines and villains into “biker chicks.” The line is slated to race onto shelves in 2018. Not stopping there, but also like the DC Bombshells line, Gotham City Garage will be getting a “Digital First” comic book in August of this year.

Amid the “designer” lines that DC is unveiling for next year we will also see a return to basics. DC Essentials is a figure line that will adhere to more classic representations of DC characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. The 6.75” characters will be designed by comic book artist Jason Fabok and will boast both moveability and poseability, making DC believe that this series will be sought after by long-time fans and those new to DC. The first wave of DC Essentials, Batman, Superman, the Flash, and Aquaman, will release in 2018. Deathstroke, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Nightwing will follow in 2019.

DC Essentials line

Wonder Woman and Green Lantern

Most exciting though is the table we weren’t allowed to photograph. A new DC Bombshells Wonder Woman statue displayed the WWII version of Wonder Woman standing atop a ruined tank, holding skyward her sword. It’s marked for a June 2018 release. Two PVC Batman inspired statues were also present; One being Batman himself and the other the Joker. Both a special designer creation that started from a sculpture, the Batman figure depicts the caped crusader with chiseled abs and in mid-leap from a gargoyle statue modeled to look instead like Batman villain “Man-Bat.” In his right hand, Batman holds a poised Baterang. The Joker statue takes its likeness from the popular “Arkham” series of video games, completed with his slim-fitted purple suit, poisonous-lapel flower, and cane. Taking a more abstract approach compared to the Batman statue, the Joker’s base was made of up of large-green “HAHA” letters stylized as if they were crumbling ruins. I wanted to sneak some pictures, but DC’s Kevin Kiniry was nearby to thwart any and all attempts. Both of the statues are slated for an August 2018 release.

Kevin Kiniry being a suave guard

A centerpiece for the “forbidden” table though was the life-size version of the cane that the joker held in the sculpture. A smooth-cylinder design that separates into two pieces for shipping purpose, the cane’s head is an even more cartoonish version of the Joker’s face, elongated in the face with his hair pulled back to form the handle. DC has sold a cane before, but that was upwards of $300 and came with a wall mount.

It’s an interesting decision on DC’s part to not have any tied-in movie merchandise on display, except for a few Wonder Woman pieces that is. Is this any indication that DC is having doubts that their movies will push their toy sales, themselves now shifting focus onto older media with built-in audiences or to appeal to collectors that look more for artistic renderings? If movie reviews and sales figures are any evidence, the environment isn’t stable right now for toys based off of DC’s currently movie lineups. Except Wonder Woman of course. Go Wonder Woman!

Nicholas Eskey is an avid reader and writer. When not contributing to The Beat, he works on his personal projects, the latest being a fantasy novel called “My Personable Demon.” He lives in San Diego, California, and is frequently bossed around by his cat.

After this weekend’s 2017 Toy Fair, ours and many other website have been a flutter with toy news. With such heavy internet traffic, there are a few thing that might have slipped under the radar. I’ve picked a few of my favorites to bring up with all you collectors out there.

Okay, so this one might have been already been heavily publicized, but I can’t help myself! Just revealed by Hasbro is their biggest (literally) toy of the year thus far! All Transformers fans much must look out for Transformers Generations Titans Return Trypticon action figure. All you fans voted back in 2015 for what character you’d like to return as a Titan Class toy, and Hasbro has heard you! Hasbro says Trypticon is the largest figure in the 2017 Titan Return universe and also the “biggest Decepticon figure ever made.” The gigantic figure can transform into three different modes: City Mode, Dino Mode, and Spaceship Mode. It releases sometime this Fall with an approximate retail price of $149.99.

TRYPTICON: City Mode

TRYPTICON: Dino Mode

TRYPTICON: Spaceship Mode

In the land of Funko POP! figures, we will be very soon expecting the release of the Kingdom Hearts Funko POP! line. Riding the long-awaited anticipation of the Kingdom Hearts 3 video game, we will see hitting shelves the likes of: Goofy, Mickey, Donald, Pete, and two-pack Chip and Dale. As you have probably noticed, all the figures so far announced have been from the Disney franchises and we are sorely missing that of Sora. Releasing this March, all the single characters will approximately retail for $11.99 each and the Chip and Dale two-pack for $18.99.

Kingdom Hearts: Goofy, Mickey, Donald, Pete, Chip and Dale.

In recent years, the brilliant and often confusing Twin Peaks has seen a growing cult following. Timed for a limited return, the revived series deserves the Funko POP! figures that pays homage to it. In May we will get: The Log Lady, Audrey Horne, Laura Palmer, Leland Palmer, Bob, Dale Cooper, and as a “Chase Limited Edition” The Giant. Each will be released this May, approximate retail price of $8.95 each, except for The Giant. Good luck finding that one.

The highly popular Adult Swim cartoon Rick and Morty is for sure not for kids. However, these figures are very family friendly! Adding to the pre-existing line for the show are: Weaponized Rick, Weaponized Rick (Chase Limited Edition), Weaponized Morty, Mr. Poopy Butthole (okay, maybe this one isn’t family-friendly), Mr. Meeseeks, Mr. Meeseeks (Chase Limited Edition), Birdperson, Squanchy, Snowball, Mr. Meeseeks with Meeseeks Box, and Mr. Poopy Butthole (Hot Topic Exclusive). These POP! vinyls come out this April, approximate retail price for each is $8.95, except for the Chase Limited Editions, which seem to be pre-ordering around $49.99 apiece. Ouch.

Nicholas Eskey is an avid reader and writer. When not contributing to The Beat, he works on his personal projects, the latest being a fantasy novel called “My Personable Demon.” He lives in San Diego, California, and is frequently bossed around by his cat.

Welcome back to another exciting episode of “The Beat’s Weekly Toy Review & Preview! We have a humdinger of an episode today kids, as a lot of collectible figures have been announced recently. Since I couldn’t narrow my favorites down to a short list, be prepared for a longer than usual post.

Without further suspense, here are the toys:

You all know that you’re going to see that oh so cutesy The Secret Life of Pets movie when it comes out midsummer. Well, luckily for you Funko, purveyor of funs toys such as their own POP! series, will come out with a line of vinyl figures to enjoy the movie well in advance. Get to know pets such as Max (the energetic Jack Russell Terrier, Chloe (the Tabby cat), Duke (the mutt), Snowball (the mischievous Bunny), and Gidget (the silly Pomeranian). All will be coming in June, a month before the movie does.

Max (the Jack Russel Terrier)

Chloe (the Tabby)

Duke (the mutt)

Snowball

Gidget (the Pomeranian)

As for another movie and toy tie-in, I’m excited to talk about the Funko POP! vinyls for the much anticipated nerd fest that is the Warcraft feature film. Collect characters such as the human Lothar, King Llane, as well as the orcs Duratan, Orgrim, and Garona. The Dorbz toy line will also be coming out with their own version of each character. Just look how happy they can be! Both the POP! and Dorbz toys will be releasing in April.

King Llane

Lothar

Duratan

Orgrim

Garona

Speaking of Dorbz, soon a cartoon classic (and favorite of mine) Scooby-Doo! will be chasing clues and Scooby Snacks to store shelves. The whole gang will be there; Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Vilma, and even a few masked baddies such as the Werewolf and the Witchdoctor. You’ll even have a chance to see Fred driving the Mystery Machine as a part of the Dorbz Ridez line. Scooby, Shaggy, and the Werewolf will be coming out this June, where the rest of the gang will be coming sometime this Summer.

Scooby-Doo

Shaggy

Fred

Velma

Daphne

Fred and Mystery Machine

Werewolf

Witchdoctor

As for the biggest announcement of the week, we have an exciting line of toys to celebrate the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. Mattel, the well known company behind such beloved toys like Hot Wheels, Barbie, and my all time favorite View Master, has recently fought their way against the forces of evil to bring these superhero toys to store shelves. Now you can own the ever so handsome Superman (the son of Krypton), the brooding Batman (or “Batfleck”), and the wonderful Wonder Woman (the real Amazon princess). Before you even let the thought form, there will be a crossover with the ever-so famous Barbie line of dolls. The toy line by Mattel has come out with is every boy’s, girl’s, and collector’s dream. Check them out below:

Barbie line Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman: Each fully articulate character based off the movie actors are highly detailed and posable. SRP $39.95

Hot Wheels Batman v Superman: Ever wondered how super heroes would look like in car form? Our three heroes will be featured transformed as a Hot Wheel. SRP $3.99 each

This week’s announcement will definitely our collective piggy-banks, so my best advice is to plan according (and maybe sell a kidney or two). Thanks for tuning in to another exciting installment of The Beat’s Toy Review/Preview. Anticipate another glorious article next week!

Ready your wallets, because Dynamite’s adding another statue to its Women of Dynamite collection. Based on the art of Frank Cho, Jana the Jungle Girl will stand 12″ tall and mighty on a 6″ base, gazing off into the distance at some unseen danger. It will be crafted by Jason Smith of The Brewing Factory using cold-cast porcelin and is scheduled to hit retailers this October.

Jana is the third entry in the Women of Dynamite collection, joining goth goddess Vampirella and Egyptian vampire goddess Purgatori.

Alex is the Managing Editor of the Comics Beat. He is also a freelance comics editor with previous credits at Papercutz. He is your go-to fella for creator interviews, conversations about comic book structure, and general DC Comics nerding. Currently geeking out over movies, too.